This Blog covers nature sightings and related news in the Calderdale area.
It includes all groups - Plants, animals and fungi with links to specialist sites.
Anyone wishing to become a member of this Blog and post sightings please contact us.
If you would like to join the Halifax Scientific Society either email me or come along to the next meeting.
All welcome:
calderdalewildlifeblog@gmail.com
Please contact us about any sensitive records before posting on the blog

Sunday 26 November 2017

Some more Practical Conservation Work members can get involved in:


The Friends of Roils Head
Tree Planting!
Roils Head Moor
next to Bridleway Hx 548
(at the top of Broadley Road and Rye Lane)
1.30pm – 3pm
Saturday 2 December 2017

The FoRH (with Calderdale MBC Countryside Team) will be planting a Woodland Trust Tree Pack along the moor side of the Bridleway. To create a natural hedgerow and to establish more food sources for wildlife in the area. Creating a living legacy for future generations.
All are welcome to come and help!
Please wear appropriate clothing.

          


The Friends of Roils Head (FoRH)

The aims of the group are to protect, conserve and enhance Roils Head Moor as a place of recreation, education and enjoyment for the long-term benefit of all sections of the local community and schools.

Facebook Page / Messenger users search for @roilshead



Thursday 23 November 2017

Deer Farm at Todmorden, just east of the golf course.


We came across these young fawns with a female ( a Doe) sheltering from the cold wind near the road as we walked up from Cross Stone. 




A white male puzzled me for a while until it stood next to one which was obviously a Fallow Buck, from its palmate antlers and spotted coat. The white buck (white hart?) has broken antlers, but their head shape and sizes are identical, so I think they are both Fallow Deer. White Fallows are quite common; I once flushed a magnificently-antlered white buck which went leaping away in the New Forest, Hampshire. This seems an unsuitable field to keep a species that loves the deep sheltering wildwood. 



Anyone willing to identify this other group of deer in the same field as the Fallows? They were obviously bigger and heavier. I'm not sure till I get the books out.

Thursday 16 November 2017

Possible funding to "develop biodiversity and recreational potential of the area."


Karen Elliott karen@cflandscape.co.uk

to meHoward.OwenLouise
I would be grateful if you could pass the following information on to your members.

A bid for European funding has been  organised by Calderdale Council, in partnership with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency, local community groups and Genr8 Developments.  This bid is a large one, covering several sites along the River Calder, from Hebden Bridge down to Brighouse, one of which is the Milner Royd Local Nature Reserve and the Copley Valley Green Corridor.  The bid has passed the first stage of the applications, and we are now preparing the second stage.  If successful, there will be funds to develop the biodiversity and recreational potential of these sites.

For the second stage bid, the detailed proposals for Milner Royd and Copley Valley have to be submitted.  In order to determine the proposals, a community consultation exercise is taking place, with an open day on Sunday 19 November 2017 based at the PSL Group offices in Unit 2, and an online questionnaire available until 31 December 2017.  The questionnaire can be found at

I attach a copy of the flier for the open day (9am to 12 noon) which has been distributed to homes and businesses surrounding the site.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks.

Karen

---------------------------------------------------------------
I couldn't copy and paste the flyer Karen attached but basically it says this:  

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
OPEN DAY
Sunday 19th November 2017
9.00am to 12.00 noon
At PLS Group Unit 2 Copley Valley Business Park

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Disease Control

St. Ive's woodland at Bingley is undergoing a great change as all the Larch trees are being felled.

Many of these were planted en masse so it is leaving swathes of open areas. They are being felled because of Phytophthora ramorum disease, which was only found in the country in 2002 but since then millions of (mainly) Larch trees have had to be removed.

Beech are affected by this disease in Todmorden park and I suspect throughout the valley.

The contractor said there would be re-planting at St. Ives but didn't say with what. Let's hope there is some design to it, so that it may eventually resemble a woodland.

At the moment it is a vast improvement, as all the unthinned mature Larch were a gloomy sight. Does it need any re-planting?